From a surge in startups to crewed mission preparations, 2025 marks a transformative year as India eyes $44 billion space economy by 2033.
'Instead of the government and telecom operators solving the mess of their own creation, they're telling us we need to give access to our phones perpetually.'
Eyewear major Lenskart is gearing up to launch its first pair of AI-powered smart glasses by the end of December, marking a step towards positioning itself as a technology-led lifestyle brand, according to people familiar with the matter.
'Stop fearing 'No' and build your empire. 'By embracing rejection, you gain clarity, data and a stronger team, paving the way for inevitable growth,' Mamaearth Co-Founder Ghazal Alagh tells aspiring entrepreneurs.
Kannada filmmaker Hemant Kumar has been arrested for allegedly blackmailing and sexually harassing a television actress after promising her a lead role in his film, the police said on Tuesday.
Eyewear retailer Lenskart plans to add 450 stores in the current financial year, its fastest expansion in three years, as the company prepares for a public listing that could value it at up to $10 billion. The addition would take Lenskart's store count to more than 3,150 across 14 countries, representing a 34 per cent rise from the 334 stores opened last year.
As quick commerce gains ground, emerging direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands are betting big on digital channels to drive growth. According to Aman Gupta, co-founder of wearables brand BoAt, new-age brands in India have been expanding at a much faster pace than expected, driven by digital channels like quick-commerce. "Investors doubted the potential of D2C brands when we started, but today there are multiple brands in the startup market that are growing on the shoulders of these digital channels," Gupta said while addressing a session at Razorpay's D2C and Retail Summit recently.
Vivek Biyani, the nephew of retail veteran Kishore Biyani, will launch a retail chain focused on direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands under the name Broadway, along with actor Rana Daggubati, Apurva Salarpuria of Salarpuria Group and Anuj Kejriwal of Anarock Retail. This new retail format is a multi-brand outlet, which will house D2C brands under one roof. The first store is set to open in Delhi in August this year, and subsequent store launches in Hyderabad and Mumbai are slated in September 2024 and March next year, the company said in its release.
As quick-commerce players find their foothold among consumers, brands are all set to step up their presence on these platforms.
The eight-month intensive programme is designed to help professionals develop comprehensive expertise across both data science and decision science, said IIT-Delhi.
Bharti Airtel and Tata Group have terminated discussions for a merger of their direct-to-home (DTH) business, according to a Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) filing on Saturday.
Skincare gift combos, de-tan kits, makeup face palettes, healthy chocolate combos, scent hampers, books and bookmarks, silver bands, rings, gold pendants...
'Unless a comedian is involved in something society deems unforgivable...'
India's e-commerce market alone is projected to reach $200 billion by 2026, making it a prime industry for ambitious entrepreneurs, explains rediffGURU Harsh Bharwani.
The Juggernauts made a positive start in the fourth minute, opting for a relatively direct route to surprise the Kerala Blasters defence.
'We have reached 70 million monthly active users during this festival season, which is another great milestone for us.'
Two young men jostle in a rickshaw as it clatters along a narrow, bustling lane of North Kolkata, each with a leg dangling over the side of the vehicle, a bulging sack of cosmetics nestled between them. The protagonists here are the founders of Emami - Radhe Shyam Agarwal and Radhe Shyam Goenka - childhood friends who gave up cushy corporate jobs to build a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company. From a 200-square-foot rented space on Muktaram Babu Street in North Kolkata, brand Emami stepped into the competitive world of FMCG 50 years back, armed with just three products: Vanishing cream, talcum powder, and cold cream.
Hit by inflation, higher input costs and pricing measures, fast-moving consumer goods companies are expected to see a contraction in their gross margin and a modest-to-flat operating profit in the October-December quarter. Several FMCG makers are likely to log a low single-digit rise in their revenue, returning to the cycle of value-driven growth.
If it becomes a reality, the Chennai-based company will become the first private player from India to conduct such a mission to the lunar surface.
The FMCG industry hopes for a revival in consumption growth in 2025 with some 'green shoots' already visible, after having a challenging year amid escalating input costs and a double-digit rise in food inflation, which ultimately slowed down the pace of the urban market growth in the second half of 2024. Soaring prices of commodities such as palm oil, coffee, cocoa and wheat forced FMCG players to go for a hike of 3 to 5 per cent or resort to shrinkflation by reducing pack sizes and grammage to retain attractive price points, fearing a volume loss.
'Domestic investors are opening up to the idea of high-growth Internet companies as a pool of value creation.' 'They like the execution that they see with Zepto, and for us, that is the most important factor.'
Logistics major Delhivery has had promising Q2FY25 results. The Q2FY25 consolidated revenue was Rs 2,190 crore (up 0.8 per cent quarter-on-quarter or Q-o-Q and 12.8 per cent year-on-year or Y-o-Y). Express parcel revenue was Rs 1,300 crore, (up 1.7 per cent Q-o-Q/7.3 per cent Y-o-Y) alongside better yield (+5 per cent Y-o-Y) in the segment.
The sixth game of the World Chess Championship between India's D Gukesh and China's Ding Liren ended in a draw.
Captain Shreyas Iyer and Devdutt Padikkal struck half-centuries to help India D stretch their lead against India C on the second day of their Duleep Trophy match.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its third and final developmental flight of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle here on Friday whose payloads can be used in applications like satellite-based surveillance, disaster and environmental monitoring, fire detection, volcanic activity among others.
The flight took off from Sriharikota in the Bay of Bengal on schedule.
From its recent lows, the stock of consumer major Marico is up 7 per cent on the back of a better-than-expected June quarter performance and robust outlook. In a pre-quarter update, the management indicated that domestic volume growth should witness an improvement in FY25, while other segments (growth portfolio, international business) too would see traction going ahead. The near-term trigger is strong sales and operating performance for Q1FY25.
'The idea is to frame the ToR quickly, so that Trai can begin its consultations with industry stakeholders.'
The indigenous rocket will carry the second technology experiment satellite GSAT-2.
Market regulator Sebi has sought clarifications from the merchant banker of Videocon D2H Ltd, the satellite television arm of Videocon Group, regarding the company's proposed Rs 700 crore (Rs 7 billion) initial public offer (IPO).
Amazon Prime Video has announced a huge number of assorted Web series and movies, and the slate sure looks interesting.
The fresh meat and seafood delivery startup Licious plans to set up 500 stores nationwide within the next five years as part of an omnichannel strategy. The aim is to attract new users in the offline channel and encourage them to transact online as well. The move would also help the company in its efforts to achieve profitability and go for an initial public offering (IPO) in the next 24 months, according to the sources.
Rasna, which became a household name in the 80s and 90s and is still ruling the pre-mix market, is now looking at overseas franchise arrangements for manufacturing abroad. As part of the arrangement, the franchisee would invest in the plant and machinery and it would also take care of day-to-day operations. Rasna would supply the pre-mix, technical know-how and some financial support.
The variant is is aimed at fleet and travel operators thanks to its seating capacity for nine people.
With a jam-packed schedule brimming with both legendary athletes and captivating storylines, Paris 2024 promises unforgettable moments.
The launch is slated for 1658 IST from the space port at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.
There are conflicting views on Delhivery. The logistics player's results for the July-September quarter (Q2FY24) are being interpreted as good by some analysts and disappointing by others. As India's largest listed logistics player, the company stands to benefit from the formalisation across the mostly unorganised logistics space. Delhivery provides solutions to 23,113 customers, including e-commerce marketplaces, direct-to-consumer e-tailers, and enterprises across verticals.
Tharoor said there could be a surprise result in the election next year as there is an opposition coalition and there are chances of the INDIA alliance coming to power at the Centre by trouncing the BJP-led NDA in the general elections.